Tesla and Toyota among the world’s smartest companies, study says

Both automakers have been included in the annual top of the “50 Smartest Companies” made by MIT Technology Review.

MIT Technology Review, the magazine published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, picks each year 50 companies that “best combine innovative technology with an effective business model.” And the 2016 rankings found only two automakers on the list. After it topped the 2015 standings for its plan to expand its battery technology from cars to residential and commercial applications, Tesla has been placed this year on 4th thanks to its efforts related to the development of self-driving features, namely the Autopilot system that “stands out for the way it integrates feedback from a camera, radar, ultrasonic sensors, and GPS to aid drivers on highways,” and for also bringing the electric technology closer to the mass market through its 35,000 dollar Model 3.

The study also praises Toyota’s focus on artificial intelligence and robotics, on pushing further with hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles and its work on a network of affordable hydrogen fuel stations. Therefore, MIT ranked the world’s biggest carmaker on 17th. Toyota said in November 2015 it would invest 1 billion dollars over a five-year plan to form a research center – Toyota Research Institute – focused on artificial intelligence and robotics. It also officially started the US sales of the hydrogen-fueled Mirai in October 2015, a model that promises a 300-mile range with emitting water vapor only.